


A Prince’s Hideout

by LunaJo36



Category: One Piece
Genre: One Piece AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24260926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaJo36/pseuds/LunaJo36
Summary: The small group stepped out of the forest into the crowd of people. Royal solders came down the dirt road, followed by a carriage pulled by a giant calico cat. The King, princess and three princes road in it. Nami looked to her side for the blond but he wasn't there. She looked back into the trees to see him hiding in the branches. "Sanji-kun? I know you've been away from people for so long but no one here is going to hurt you." Sanji frond at her with fear filled eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I can't do this...," he said walking back wards until Nami could no longer see his face, now shrouded in the darkness of the thick forest.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. The Escape

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever AU! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Feel free to suggest tags as I am not good at coming up with additional tags. Thanks in advance!

A long time ago in a kingdom call Germa, there lived a young Prince. His name? Vinsmoke Sanji. He lived in the castle with his father, mother, older sister, and three brothers.

But unlike most princes, Prince Sanji didn't live what one would call a pleasant life. The castle staff cared for him, but they had to, they were his servants. His mother loved him dearly. But his father grew to resent the young Prince's existence. Now, the king loved the boy when he was first born but as days past the King soon realized that his third born son was not as strong as his other four children. He almost always had a fever and was very injury pron, there was no way the boy was ever going to grow into a strong solder, thus ruining the King's plans for the boy. His brothers favorit pass time was picking on and bullying him because he was so much weaker than them and loved to cook. His sister however, like his mother, cared very much for him but was to afraid to show it around her brothers and father so she partook in bullying him with her brothers, by standing on the side line and laughing with them, but always insisted on treating his injuries after wards.

No his life wasn't the best... but having his mother nullified every ounce of pain he felt living in that castle.... That was until that tragic day when the Queen had fallen ill to a very rear disease with no known cure when the prince was just two years old. She was bed ridden until she eventually passed when he was six. Until the day she died, Sanji took food to her that he had prepared especially for her. Seeing her happy face as she ate his cooking was his only joy in that castle and now she was gone, taking that joy with her.

Her death not only took his joy but it caused his brothers to bully him even more and his father to resent him more and more with each passing day.

His resentment grew and grew until one day the King concocted a plan to put an end to the annoying feeling of resentment.

"B-but, Your Highness! H-he's our prince! W-we can just~!" One of the King's Solders said early on his four sons' seventh birthday right after he had told them his plan.

"And I am your King!!!!" He yelled. "You will do as I say!!!! Throw that worthless piece of trash in the dungeon!!! And take this iron mask and put it on him! Don't take it off no matter how much he begs! If I have to go down there for any reason I do not want to even so much as glance at his face! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Y-yes, King Judge-sama!" They said before going to get the prince from his room before he woke up.

One of the men picked him up, hoping he didn't wake, everyone knew he was a very light sleeper.

"Hmm." Sanji's eyes fluttered open. "What's going on? Is it time for training?"

"No not yet. Sanji-sama. Go back to sleep," the solder said as the four men walked down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Sanji asked looking around and spotting the mask another solder was carrying. "What's that? What's going on?! It's dark and cold! Why is it so dark?! Why is it so cold?! Is this the dungeon?!"

"Your Highness! Calm down! Please stop squirming around!" The solder carrying him said as Sanji thrashed about trying to get out of his arms.

"Why are we in the dungeon! Father's not going to be happy! I'm not aloud down here! Stop this at once! What are you doing?!"

"Your Highness! Please! We are only following orders!" The solder said as Sanji finally escaped from the solders grasp and ran for the stairs.

"Grab him!" The solder ordered the others as the young Prince continued to run but tripped on a small stone.

Another solder picked him up and he began kicking at the air.

"Put me down! I am your Prince! Please, if Father finds me down here I'll be in big trouble!"

"No you won't, Your Highness," the fourth solder said as he held up the mask to place it around Sanji's head.

"What are you doing?! Stop! Get that thing away from me!!!!" Sanji begged not understanding why these four solders had turned against him. He thought all the solders respected him and his family.

"Stop struggling, Your Highness," the solder holding him said as the other attempted to lock the mask, however Sanji's thrashing about was making it difficult to put the key in the key hole.

"Stop it! Please!" Sanji said as tears began to well up in his eyes. "What is this thing? Please, tell me what this is about?!"

Finally the solder managed to get the key in and turn the lock. The one holding Sanji sat him on his feet.

Sanji grabbed the mask trying to remove it. "What is this?! It won't come off!"

"Come, Your Highness," the third solder said taking Sanji's hand and draging him to the first cell on the right before shoving him in and closing the door.

"Wait! Don't leave me down here! Get my father! Let me out at once! If this is some kind of joke it isn't funny! Bring Father here!" He said wrapping his little fingers around the bars.

"Your father?" One of the solders said turning to look at Sanji after heading up the stairs. "This was the King's wish."

"What?" Sanji said, eyes wide with disbelief. "No! Don't go! Let me out! Father!!!! Father!!!! Please!!!! I don't want to die down here!!!! Please it's dark and scary!!!! I'm sorry!!!! I'm sorry I was born weak!!!! Please!!! I'll work harder!!!! Please just don't leave me down here!!!!"

Four and a half months later his brothers had discovered that Sanji's death was a lie and despite being told to never go to the dungeon, they snuck down every day for the next month and a half to beat up their imprisoned brother. His sister also descoverd the truth and snuck down after her brothers left to treat his wounds. This lasted until one day, six months after his imprisonment, Sanji had enough.

"Reiju?" He asked his sister as she placed the last band-aid on his nose, it was a little difficult with the mask in the way, but she managed.

"What is it Sanji?"

"If... If... I run away... and leave the capital right now... would I... ever have to see Father's face again...?" He asked as tears streamed down his face.

"What are you saying Sanji? The entire Kingdom knows what you look like.... Even if you did manage to run away someone will find you and bring you back."

"Not if I hide!!! Everyone thinks I'm dead, right?!!!" He cried. "No body will look for someone who's supposed to be dead!"

"Sanji, it's not that simple."

"Can't I at least try!!! Please! I can't take it anymore! Reiju! Help me!!! Please! I know I'm weak and I probably won't survive on my own... but please, help me at least try!"

The tears Reiju was forcing back began to fall. "Okay. Stand back," she said placing her hands on two of the bars and bending them out of place so Sanji could get through.

"I'll go get the key to that mask," she told him as they ran up the stairs. "You go to your room, lock the door and pack your things. Do not let anyone see you. If this is going to work, we need as many people as possible to think you are dead. Not a single person outside of those who know can find out you're alive or the whole Kingdom will eventually find out. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Sanji replied as they snuck through the castle halls.

* * *

  
"Do you have everything you need or want?" Reiju said after Sanji confirmed it was her on the other side of the door.

"I think so," he said tying the bag close.

"Good. Come here. Let me get this hideous thing off you," she said walking up to him and unlocking the mask. "Are you ready?"

"Uh-huh," he muttered looking at his feet.

"When you get out of the castle, follow this map. I marked the route to a place Mom used to take me before you were born. Nobody knows about this place. Go there and don't leave for any reason. It's deep in the forest on the edge of the Kingdom. You'll be safe there. Travel by night while it's dark. Hide and get some rest during the day until you get there. It should take two nights by foot if you leave now. I'll come check on you in four days if I can find away past Father and the solders. I'll bring you some food, but I won't be able to do this forever. If I do that to much Father will get suspicious. I'll be on horse back so I can bring you more clothes too. Don't take more then you can carry."

"Okay."

"Let's go. I'll help you out of the castle but that's all the farther I can take you."

"Okay...."

"Would you stop saying okay! Let's go!" She said draging him out of the room.


	2. Let's Go on an Adventure!

It's been eleven years since he ran away. His Hideout' was a small cottage in the middle of the forest. It sat on the edge of a small meadow. A river ran through the center of the meadow, providing Sanji with water and fish. It was a peaceful place... something he desperately needed after living with his father and brothers.

The day Reiju came to bring him some more of his things she told him that they could never see each other again... if someone followed her they would surely find Sanji, and she couldn't have that. So she told him that every two weeks she would come to the river and leave clothes and supplies on a boulder not far from the meadow but far enough that no one would find his hideout. She brought a tape measure with her and taught him how to take measurements and told him to write them down and leave it on the boulder at the beginning of each season so he would always have the appropriate clothing year round. She would then come and take the paper back to her clothing designer to make him new clothes. When she was asked about it by her designer she simply told her "I'm donating them to the poor" - which wasn't entirely a lie. When they were finished she would ride her horse to the river and lay them on the boulder. Once Sanji got older and wasn't as easily recognizable... or she hoped anyway... she would leave money on the boulder with a note telling him he could go into town and buy him food if he ever needed to, but he never did. He was to afraid of someone finding out who he was.

Now nineteen, Sanji sat outside his cottage early in the morning, he loved watching the sunrise through the trees. The way the light broke through the branches was almost magical. He looked into the calm river at his reflection.

 _Would it be okay?_ He asked himself. _Could I actually go into town without anyone realizing who I am?_

He looked at his sister's note she had left this past week, just before spring had begun.

_Sanji,_

_It's okay. Go into town. You're nineteen now. You're old enough. I doubt anyone will recognize you anymore. Go into town and make some friends. It's got to be getting pretty lonely being at that cottage by yourself all this time._

_With lots of love,_   
_Reiju_

He sighed before standing up and wiping the dirt off his feet from the river before slipping his shoes back on. He went into the cottage and grabbed a basket before leaving again to go find fruits and berries.

* * *

"Luffy! Ace, stop your brother! He's being reckless again!"

"Nami, you know there's no stopping Luffy from acting like an idiot, right?"

"He's going to fall into the water! You know he can't swim!"

"Neither can Ace, Nami."

"Sabo! Fine then you go stop him!"

"Neither can Sabo, Nami."

"Ugh! You three brothers are hopeless!"

"Hey guys. What's going o~.... ! Luffy what the hell are you doing?!?!?!?!?! You're going to fall in the water!!!!"

"But it's fun! Come on, you try, Zoro!"

"ARE YOU INSANE! I AM NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT STUPID!"

"You guys are no fun," Luffy pouted as he rocketed back over to his friends and brothers. "Come on! Let's go get the others!"

The five friends walked to the edge of town to a ship yard, where they found their friends, Franky and Usopp, who were working hard on a project for none other then the King. Franky was building a ship, while Usopp was assigned to making the ship's weapons.

"Usopp! Franky!"

The two looked up from their work.

"Hey, Luffy!" Usopp hollered waving his hand that held a hammer.

"What's up, Bros?" Franky said as he and Usopp walked over to the others.

"We're going to get Robin and Brook! I really want to go somewhere but I want everyone to come with me!"

"How long will this take? Judge wants this ship finished in three weeks. If Usopp and I keep running off with you guys we'll never get it finished."

"Yeah, and we already ran off with you guys ten times this past week alone."

"If the King gets mad at you for not getting it done on time, I can just kick his ass," Luffy grinned widely.

"Don't let his solders hear you say that," Ace laughed.

"His solders don't scare me. Well, are you two coming or not?!"

"Of course we are," Usopp said. "But do you mind telling us were it is you are wanting to go?"

"Yes, I mind! I'm not telling untill we get Robin and Brook!"

"He's been going on and on about this for days," Sabo said. "He actually planned the whole thing out."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH! LUFFY PLANNED SOMETHING!" Usopp said, eyes bugging out of his head.

"Well...sort of...."

"Sabo, he didn't plan anything. He's just been pestering us for weeks about going into~"

"ACE!" Luffy interrupted. "You guys promised you'd keep it a secret!"

"And a secret it will remain," Ace said ruffling his youngest brother's hair.

"Going into? Going into where?" Usopp asked as his legs began to tremble.

"We'll tell you later, let's go get the other two!!" Luffy said excitedly.

Usopp and Franky quickly put their tools away and the group headed to a book store where Robin was sure to be found. However they stopped when they saw Brook sitting on a bench outside a music shop playing his violin.

"Yo-ho-ho! Hello Luffy!!!" Brook hollered over to them. He put the violin back in it's case and walked over to them. "Nami, you look rather exquisite today!" He said before adding, "Although I don't have any eyes to look at you with, Yo-ho-ho!"

No Brook was not blind, he really didn't have _any_ eyes. You see Brook was a skeleton. A few years ago he had wondered into the forest and was attacked by some creature. He died. Nobody new what happened to him and with his absence the whole Kingdom seemed to fall into a deep depression. Brook was a very famous musician in the country, he used to be the Queen's personal musician until she passed and Judge banished him from the castle. Luffy and the other's were very worried about him and looked everywhere, except the forest because it was against the law to enter there. Every now and then a few idiots would come a long and walk into it just to see what His Highness would do if he found out.

Now you may be wondering how it is that Brook is alive... well... sort of alive anyway. You see Brook is much like Luffy and his two brothers. They all have special abilities that no ordinary human does. Ace and Sabo's bodies are made up entirely out of fire, while Luffy's is made up of rubber. Brook, however, couldn't stay dead. Nobody knew exactly why some of the kingdom's citizens where born with these abilities but what they did know is that these abilities took their capability to swim. Brook never knew why he was never able to learn to swim, all he knew was water made him very week, that is until the day he was killed by that creature. He was dead for five months because his soul had gotten lost on it's way back to it's body. When it finally did return, it's body no longer had flesh, leaving Brook a pile of Bones and an aphro. It's still a mystery how his hair didn't decompose with the rest of his flesh, but Brook was glad it didn't. The rest of the kingdom was afraid of Brook once he showed back up as a skeleton, but to Luffy and the others he was still the same old Brook.... Well the same old Brook who now does _way to many_ skeleton jokes.

"Hi Brook! We're going to go get Robin! And then we're all going to go on an adventure!"

"W-what kind of adventure?" Usopp asked but was ignored. He had a really bad feeling about this.

"Yo-ho-ho! That sounds like fun."

And so the nine of them walked side by side to find Robin, who was right where they expected her to be. She sat in a chair at her favorite book shop, reading three different books.... How you ask? Well Robin is also one of the people born with special abilities. She was able to make different parts of her body grow off of random things. She had four hands growing out of the arms of the chair holding two books and two more growing out of the books themselves with an eye in the palm of each.

A man, with dark hair and a white hat with black spots, was sitting in the chair next to her reading a medical book.

She glanced up from her book to see Luffy's smiling face inches from her's.

"Hello there Luffy," she smiled back.

"We're going on an adventure and you're coming too!" He said in an as a matter of fact tone.

"Oh? And where is it that we are going?"

Luffy motioned for everyone to come closer so nobody other than his friends could hear.

"You can come to Tra-guy!" Luffy added.

"No, I'm studying. Then I have to go meet Bepo and the others around noon. Besides I'm pretty sure what ever it is you are planning to do is going to be illegal. I'm not going to risk my job as a surgeon just because you want to drag me into your shananigans."

"It will be fun!"

"I said 'no'," Law said glaring at Luffy.

"Where is it that we're going?!" Usopp asked again only this time he didn't get ignored.

"The forest."

Yup Law was right, illegal.


	3. Keepers of The Forest

The nine of them stood at the edge of the forest. The only one of them who protested on breaking the law was Usopp.

"This is a bad idea, guys! This place is hunted! And do you not remember what happened the last time one of us entered the forest?! Look at Brook! Maybe that will jog your memories!!!"

"Stop being a baby, Usopp," was Zoro's response. "Luffy's the leader. Whatever he says goes. But if you don't want to come then by all means, stay here and keep watch. I'm sure the solders would love your excuse as to why you're standing this close to the edge of the forest." He added as everyone, except Usopp, walked into the trees.

"Eh...! Wait for me guys!!"

* * *

Sanji was up in a tree picking some apples. He had become a skilled climber living in the middle of a forest for so long.

"As soon as Reiju brings more flour I can make an apple pie with these!" He said happily, but his smile soon faded.

Sure living alone without his brothers and father around to bother him was nice... but he missed cooking for people. Of course the only person he every cooked for was his mother... but he still missed seeing her enjoy his food. If he could just cook for one person again... just one... everything would be perfect. But apparently God wasn't on his side... if there was a God.... His mother always talked about one but the way his life has been so far... he wasn't sure if he believed it.

He sighed. Reiju was right, the older he got, and the more time he spent there by himself, the lonelier he felt. He wanted to go into town, it isn't like he lived outside the capital, but he was to afraid. How would people react? Would they treat him the same way his father and brothers did? The maids respected him when he was young but he was their Prince, they had to... didn't they? If nobody new who he was they could easily turn against him without a second thought! He was never aloud out of the castle so the only thing he knew about other people and how they acted was beat up those that are weaker. Even the animals out here in the forest seemed to be that way... was that how everyone was? He couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk going into town and reliving his past in the castle. He was weak, he knew that. How could he not? His father and brothers drilled it into his brain every second of the day until he ran away. The way they acted, he had to of been the weakest person in the kingdom, right? So there was absolutely no way, no matter how lonely he got, was he ever going to step even a toe out of _his_ forest.

He climbed down the tree and went to find some wild strawberries, pushing his thoughts to the side and tried to lock away his loneliness.

* * *

"See Usopp! This place isn't hunted," Luffy said... although there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BEEP ENOUGH INTO THE FOREST YET DUMMY!"

"Shhh!" Robin said holding a hand in front of Usopp's face. "What was that?"

"W-what w-was w-what?" Usopp asked looking around frantically.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive." They heard a voice eco through the trees.

"H-hello?" Nami said, taking out three blue mettle cylinders from a holder thing around her leg.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"Damn it. I picked a good time to leave my swords at home," Zoro muttered.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"Who's there! Show yourself!" Luffy hollered.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"Yo-ho-ho. Scarry."

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"That's _supper_ annoying."

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"Indeed," Robin agreed.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"Alright, who every you are, you better come out before my brother and I decide to make you come out," Ace said as he and Sabo let flames form in their palms.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

"That 'negative' crap is really getting on my nerves," Sabo replied.

"Ne. Ga. Tive. Ne. Ga. Tive."

Usopp turned when he heard the voice just inches behind him. His eyes widened, "G-G-G-G-GHOST~!"

"Don't be stupid, Usopp. There are no such thing as gho~. HOLY CRAP! THERE REALLY IS A GHOST!" Zoro said turning around.

"I TOLD YOU THIS PLACE WAS HUNTED!!!!!!" Usopp yelled as they ran deeper into the forest.

Ace and Sabo had to grab Luffy because he was staring at the ghost with stars in his eyes.

"YOU WERE RIGHT OKAY! WE'LL NEVER DOUBT YOU AGAIN!!!" Nami hollered right before Zoro ran into a giant tree trunk unexpectedly, causing everyone else to run into him.

They all fell to the ground piled on top of each other. They looked up to see that the tree trunk was not a tree trunk but a fury leg. They sat there frozen in fear, again except Luffy who was staring starry eyed at the creature. It was almost taller than the trees, it had antlers, and it's eyes were pure white.

"TH-THAT'S WHAT KILLED ME~!" Brook hollered.

The monster turned to them. It stared at them for a moment. It bent down so it's giant face was inches from them. It let out a roar louder then any of them had ever heard. It's breath blew their hair back and it's siliva covered their bodies.

They ran past it as fast as they could and it chased them.

"BROOK YOU IDIOT~!!!!!!" Nami and Usopp yelled at him as they ran.

"Did anyone else notice that thing was waring a hat?" Robin asked.

They all stopped running.

"You're right. It was," Sabo said adjusting his own hat.

They turned around realizing they weren't being chased any longer.

"There!" Robin said running over to a pink thing laying on the ground, matching the color of the monster's hat. It was the hat, much smaller now, and a little brown ball of fur.

"B-be careful, Robin," Usopp said staying behind Zoro as they all approached the now small creature.

"A raccoon dog!" They all hollered in disbelief.

"I'm a reindeer," it said weakly.

"IT TALKS!!!"

"Chopper?! Chopper?! Are you okay?!" A girl's voice said running towards them. She stopped and stared at the group before hollering, "GET AWAY FROM CHOPPER!"

"Wh-who are you?" They asked simultaneously.

"Perona. Now get away from Chopper!" She said before picking up the reindeer. "You people aren't supposed to be in this forest!"

"Neither are you!"

"Chopper and I were assigned to make sure people like you didn't come in here!"

"Wait... so you work for the King?" Nami asked.

"Yes! And if you leave now, I won't tell him you were here."

"Okay. You heard the lady, let's go," Usopp said trying to walk past her but was grabbed by the nearby Nami.

"What part of what Luffy says goes, do you not understand?"

"Sorry lady, but we're going on an adventure," Luffy said.

"If you don't leave I'll have to arrest you," Perona said as nine ghost appeared behind her.

"THERE'S MORE OF THEM!!!!" Usopp said.

"They're not real Usopp. Are they Miss?" Robin observed.

"No, they are my Devil's Child ability," she answered.

Devil's Child abilities, that's what these special abilities were called. Anyone who was born with them were known as the Devil's children. That was the only thing that made sense to anyone anyways. The citizens believed that the Devil himself granted these abilities to unborn children to fight for him someday to defeat God. Luffy and his group of friends and two brothers didn't buy it though, they felt there was something less... supernatural to it then that.

"And your friend there, he's a Devil's child too?" No they didn't believe it, but they still called it by what everyone else did.

"Yes. He's a reindeer with human abilities. But right now he can't move on his own because he used his monster form to try to scare you off."

"Do you know why the King made it illegal to enter this forest?"

"It wasn't the King's doing. It was the Princess's. But no, I do not know why. Being the future Queen, she is permitted to make laws. But she only made this one. Anyways, I've said to much. You need to leave, now. I'll escort you."


	4. Someone's in HIS Forest

"We're going back tonight," Luffy demand as they all sat in the ship yard watching Franky and Usopp work.

"What?! But if we get caught again, we'll surely get arrested!" Usopp said looking up from the cannon he was working on.

"We won't get caught," he smiled widely.

"IF WE GOT CAUGHT ONCE WE'LL GET CAUGHT TWICE!" Usopp yelled before sighing, "Idiot."

"Not if we enter at a different spot."

"I-I don't think it's that easy," Usopp said as a drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Usopp's right, Luffy. After running into those two... They're probably going to be on a higher alert then before," Sabo said.

"NO! We're going! I've got a feeling about that forest and I'm going to figure out what it is! And I'm doing it tonight! And my friends and brothers are coming with me!"

"Calm down Luffy," Ace said. "We'll go."

"Fine," Usopp finally agreed. "But we're going with disguises."

"We're going into a forest!" Zoro said. "We don't need disguises!"

* * *

"How are you feeling, Chopper?" Perona asked the reindeer when he finally sat up in bed that afternoon.

They had returned to the the Forest Guardians head quarters while Chopper recovered from having used monster point to scare off the Intruders that morning.

"Better. I can move now, anyway."

"Good. I wish His Magisty didn't make you use that form so much."

"Me too. But he's the king and we have to do as he says."

"I know," Perona sighed.

"How's Chopper doing?" A man said walking into the room. Well he was a man who was also part jaguar.

"Pedro! Your back. What did King Judge want?" Perona asked.

Pedro was the leaders the Forest Guardians. There were only three of them, and while that may not seem like a lot of people to guard an entire forest, they seemed to do their jobs just fine with no trouble.

"Nothing much. Just an update," he replied before turning to Chopper. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," He said looking at his hands resting in his lap. "...Hey guys..."

"What is it Chopper?" Pedro asked.

"Have... have I... ever... killed anyone...?"

* * *

  
Later that evening everyone meant outside the forest.

"Really! I spent all afternoon putting together disguises for everyone and none of you wore them!" Usopp complained, who was wearing his disguise, which consisted of a hat made up of grass and sticks, a green shirt and overalls covered in leaves and dirt smeared all over his face.

"Yeah, we're not going looking like that," Sabo said gesturing to Usopp's outfit.

Everyone else agreed as they walked past Usopp and entered the forest once again. Usopp stared at them dumfounded as they disappeared into the cover of the trees.

"You coming or not long nose?" Ace hollered from within the forest.

* * *

"Chopper," Parona said. "Don't worry about stuff like that. When you're in that from it's not you controling what you do."

"JUST ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!"

"We can't answer you because we don't know," Pedro said. "We've never seen you actually hurt anyone... but we can't say anything for when we're not near by."

Perona recalled one time a few years ago, this one particular man with an aphro entered the forest. She tried to scare him off with her ghosts but he had gotten to far away from her area of the forest by the time she realized he was even there that going after him would have put her endanger of facing the rath of Chopper's monster point as well. She was never sure what happened to that man. She assumed he was okay because they never found his body anywhere, although Chopper could have easily thrown him all the way to the other end of the forest and they would never have known, the Guardians where only aloud to go a curtain distance into the forest after all.

* * *

The group walked deeper and deeper into the forest as it grew darker.

"This is a bad idea guys!" Usopp said clutching his slingshot.

"Stop complaining. Nobody said you had to come," Zoro said who was leading the group.

"LUFFY DID!" Usopp yelled before realizing something. "Uuuh guys... why is Zoro leading?"

"Uuuh...," They said staring at Usopp.

Realization spread across their faces. They turned to Zoro and ran at a remarkable spread to get in front of him.

"Hey!"

"Sorry Zoro, but you can walk in the back!" Sabo said.

"No!" Nami said grabbing Zoro and pulling him to the center of the group, "He's walking in the middle. If nobody is keeping an eye on him he'll just get himself lost."

"Better him then everyone," Ace said.

Zoro glared at them... His sense of direction wasn't _that_ bad.... Or was it?

"Ace, Sabo, do you two think you can do something about this darkness?" Nami asked. "It's getting hard to see."

"Of course," Sabo said as he and Ace held up a hand letting flames radiate from them.

"Just don't catch any trees on fire," Robin smiled.

"We won't," they chuckled remembering the first time they discovered their abilities.

* * *

Sanji walked back to his little meadow It was getting dark and he was tired. He hadn't planned on being gone that long but it was a nice day so he didn't mind spending it out of his cottage.

He got to the edge of his meadow and froze. He stared across the meadow into the forest. He saw two lights flickering in the trees getting bigger as they came closer. Someone was in _his_ forest headed towards _his_ meadow. He couldn't move, if he could just run he could get up a tree then they would never find him. But if they went into _his_ cottage they would surely know someone was living there. How could they not? He keep the place nice and clean. He was terrified of bugs and spiders so he killed every one of them he found by throwing his shoe at it (so he didn't have to go near it) and hoped it died. Luckily for him he had a good aim and hit his target every time. He would then clean up any and all cobwebs he spotted with a stick and threw it in the fire place.

He watched as nine figures stepped into the clearing.

"Hey! Someone's over there!" Said the one wearing a straw hat.

Sanji's eyes widened. He dropped the basket of fruit and took off running in the direction he came.

"Hey! Wait!" The Straw Hatted boy said, but Sanji didn't stop. "Don't run!"

"Luffy! What are you doing," the red-head said as he grabbed two trees across the meadow.

"Gummuu gummuu rocket!!!" Luffy hollered rocketing after Sanji and takeled him. "Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! What's your name?!" He said with a big grin.


	5. I've Decided that You're Our Friend!

Sanji stared at the boy, his visible eye wide.

"Luffy! That was rude!" Nami said punching him in the head when the group reached him.

"Owww, Nami that hurt!"

"GOOD! Get off of him!" She said pushing Luffy over. "I'm sorry for our leader's rude behavior. He's an idiot. I'm Nami," she smiled holding out her hand for him to shake.

Sanji looked at her hand then up to her. He gave her a look that made her wonder if he thought _he_ had done something wrong. He slowly crawled backwards so his back was against the tree behind him, trying to put some distance between him and the group of people.

"You don't have to be afraid," Robin said as a hand grew out of the tree trunk and rested on his shoulder.

He jumped at the sudden touch, and hid behind the tree as the hand vanished in a cloud of flower petals.

"Hehehe, he's funny," Luffy laughed, sitting on the ground crossed legged.

" _Luffy!"_

"W-w-what was th-that?" Sanji finally muttered just barely loud enough for them to hear.

"I'm a Devil's Child," Robin explained with her kind smile.

"D-Devil's Child?"

"Mmmh. I was born with the ability to grow different parts of my body at will. Hi, I'm Robin." She said still smiling her warm smile. "My friends, Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and Brook are also Devil's Children."

"I'm a rubber man!" Luffy said stretching out his cheeks.

"I'm a revive man," Brook said.

"Our's is the coolest though!" Ace said.

"Well technically it's the hottest," Sabo corrected as they let fire radiate off their bodies.

"W-what about th-them?" He asked pointing to the others but his eye never left the skeleton as he continued to hide behind the tree. Something about the skeleton made him feel like he knew Brook from somewhere.

"No, we don't have any powers," Nami said. "Well not that kind of power anyways. Zoro is extraordinary with swords. Usopp is an amazing sniper. I am a navigator. And Franky here is the best shipwright in the kingdom and a cyborg."

"S-so... You guys... are... really strong?"

"I mean we like to think so," Ace grinned widely.

"Oh," Sanji said looking to the ground. He sighed before turning away and walking the opposite direction. "I-i suggest you leave. You're trespassing."

"Hey wait!" Luffy said stretching his arm out to grab Sanji's.

Sanji froze, his body began to trimble. The first people he meant in years and they had to be really strong. This boy has a hold of him, he's weak, surely the boy wanted to bully him because of that.

"I like you! So you're going to be our new friend."

Sanji's eye widened. He heard him wrong. He had to of. What he really said was 'you're weak. So you're our new toy.' That had to be what he said.

"What?" Sanji slowly looked over his shoulder.

"You're our new friends," Luffy repeated.

Ace and Sabo smiled widely, their little brother has always been spontaneous when it came to a lot of things, including making new friends, and this time was no different. Luffy was a good judge of character, weather any of them wanted to admit it out loud or not, all of his friends new that.

"I-is that something you can just decide?"

"Of course it is!" Luffy said letting go of him.

"Why me?"

"Geez are you deaf or something?" Luffy said tilting his head. "I like you. And you're weird."

"Weird?"

"From Luffy that's a complement," Nami explained.

"Come on! Let's go back to town!" Luffy said excitedly and everyone except Sanji followed.

They turned to him.

He stood there watching them, was this really happening? Did someone actually want to be _his_ friend? Sanji didn't even know _how_ to be a friend. He's never had one before, not a human one anyway. In the castle he had a rat that hung around, but that was it.

"Are you coming?" Luffy asked him.

"Me?"

"Yeah!"

"N-no."

"Why not?" Luffy frond.

"I... I don't go into town."

"What?! Why not?"

"I...." He didn't know what to say, he had to come up with something quick. "I... don't like people...," Was all he could come up with.... It wasn't a lie.... He really _didn't_ like people. But that's all he was going to say.

"Oh.... Then where do you live?"

"H-here."

"In this forest?" Nami asked.

"Yeah."

"You know it's illegal to even enter this forest, right?" Robin asked.

"It is?" That was news to him. According to Reiju people used to come in here all the time.

"Yeah. Just how long have you been here?" Nami asked.

"Nineteen years," he lied.

"How old are you?" Usopp asked knowing there was no way he had lived there that whole time by himself when he himself had to be at _least_ nineteen.

"Nineteen."

Sanji was starting to feel like he was being interigated and he had a bad feeling he knew what the next question was going to be.

"Your parents?"

Yup, he had called it. He was beginning to regret not asking Reiju what to say if he ever did get found out.

"Gone. They left when I was younger and never came back," he hoped that was believable.

"I don't care about any of that. Come on! Let's go into town!"

"N-no. I-if you insist on pretending to be my friend then we can stay here." Sanji had a feeling no matter how many time he told them to leave, they wouldn't without him.

"Okay!"

A drop of sweat appeared on Sanji's forehead, _is he really that easy?_ He sighed before walking back towards his cottage, keeping his guard up the whole way.

"Wait a minute!" Luffy said as they followed Sanji.

"What?"

"First off, we told you our names but you haven't told us yours!"

"It's Sanji," he replied hoping they didn't link it back to his brothers who's names also started with a number and ended in 'ji'.

"Okay. And second, Sanji, what makes you think we're only pretending?"

"A hunch," he said bluntly as he opened the cottage door.

"Well your hunch sucks."

"If you don't like the answer I give then don't ask."

There was a part of the blond that was afraid of them, but another part told him that they weren't going to hurt him.

"What a lovely cottage," Robin said when they entered.

"If you don't mind my asking, if you don't go into town then how do you have such nice things."

Great, the one question he _couldn't_ come up with a believable lie for. "I do mind," he replied before adding "Crap!" And ran out the door. He went to the spot where he had dropped the basket and began picking up the fruit. He wiped the dirt off them and made sure no bugs had eaten their way into them.


	6. Marimo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I couldn't think of a better chapter title lol

"Is everything okay?" Nami asked when Sanji came back in.

"Yeah. I just about forgot about the fruit is all. I don't want it going to waist," he said walking into the kitchen.

"Are you going to make food?!" Luffy asked excitedly.

"I-if you're hungry. The only thing I ate today was breakfast. I lost track of time while picking these," he replied setting the basket on the counter. He opened the fridge to see what he had to work with. It's been almost two weeks since Reiju dropped off his last food supplies so he was getting low. He let out a sigh. "It's not the fanciest meal, but how does omelettes and tangerine sauce sound?"

"If you can make it as good as Bellamere, you will be my new best friend," Nami said, omelettes and tangerine sauce was her favorite.

"Who?" He asked as he took some tangerines out of a bowl.

"My foster mom. Her tangerine sauce is the best!"

"Oh?" He said before muttering, "We'll have to see about that."

"You thank so?" Nami asked, hearing what he had said. "Are you a good cook?"

"Well... I'm the best cook in this forest.... Considering I'm apparently the only person in this forest...." He said adding the last touches to the sauce before starting on the omelettes.

"I really don't care. Food is food, it all goes to the same place," Zoro said who was standing next to the fridge.

That rather irritated the blond, "that's because you don't know a thing about food, Marimo!"

"What did you just call me!"

"I said you look like a stupid Marimo. I forgot your name, so that's what I'm calling you from now on, Marimo."

"Yeah well at least my eyebrows don't look like dartboards, dartboard brows!!!!"

"Zoro!" Nami said. She didn't know what has gotten into Luffy and Zoro, but they were acting rather rude today.... Okay so she wasn't concerned about Luffy, he always did stuff like takeling people out of nowhere using gummu gummu no rocket... but Zoro didn't typically make fun of how someone looked.

Sanji stared at him, his eyes blazing with rage. It's been awhile since he felt like this. The last time was when his brothers had taken a cake he made and ran off with it just to make him mad... it worked and he punched his oldest brother, Ichiji, in the face.... Yeah let's just say that didn't end well for him. Something about this guy just really made him angry. Rather it was his green hair, that reminded him of his younger brother, Yonji, or the swords at his sides that reminded him of his older brother, Niji, who, last Sanji knew, was the best swordsmen out of all his siblings, or if it was just because he had the nerve to bring up his embarrassing, asymmetrical, curly eyebrows, he did not know, he just really wanted to punch this man right now. Of course the only one there who knew his eyebrows were asymmetrical was him because he had his left eye covered with his hair. Or maybe it was just the fact that he didn't seem to know a thing about food and the art of cooking, like his father and brothers. Whatever it was he didn't care, he lunged at Zoro attempting to punch him in the face, but Zoro quickly drew one of his swords, blocking the punch, a tad bit to late. The sharp edge of the blade just barely grazed the blond's knuckles.

Sanji clutched his hand to his chest as he backed away from the swordsmen as quickly as he could. He stared at him wide eyed, trying not to scream, trying not to show his pain more then he already had, something he learnt to do living with his brothers for so long, 'conceal, don't feel, don't let them know,' Reiju had told him constantly **(okay... Yes this is a Frozen reference but you know what IT FITS DANG IT!)**.

"ZORO!"

"HE ATTACKED ME FIRST, NAMI!"

"THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO USE THE SHARP SIDE OF THE BLADE!" Nami said going over to Sanji.

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"THEN DON'T JUST STAND THERE AND APOLOGIZE TO HIM!" She said looking over her shoulder before turning to Sanji. "Here, let me see it. I'm not a doctor, but I know a bit about first add."

"I-I have t-to f-finish...," He began, going back to his stuttering.

"Robin can do that. Right Robin?" Nami interrupted.

"Of course."

"Th-the s-sauce n-needs...."

"To simmer on a low flame... right?" Nami asked.

Sanji nodded.

"Bellemere's is the same," Nami said reaching over to turn the flame down. "Can I see your hand?" **(Note: I know absolutely NOTHING about making tangerine sauce!)**

"I-it's f-fine."

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said calmly. "You don't have to be afraid of us."

"Y-you exp-pect me t-to bel-lieve th-that...?"

"Can you let us prove it?" Nami asked. She didn't question his fear, if he really had been alone in this forest most of his life and his parents abandoned him when he was young, she couldn't blame him for not trusting them.

Sanji thought about it for a moment. That's when he remembered something Reiju had told him the day he ran away.

_"Sanji! The world is big. This Kingdom is big. Someday when you're older and people don't remember quite what you look like, go into the nearest town and Look for friends! There are kind people out there and I don't care what Father says, you will find someone who will love you the way you are! Just like Mom did! Stop your crying and get out of here before someone sees you!"_

He had agreed earlier with Reiju's note... he was lonely.... Maybe now was a good time to at least try to start trusting people, if only a little.

Sanji cautiously moved his injured hand towards her. She smiled at him, taking it gently in her hand and examined the cut across his knuckles

"It doesn't look to deep, but it might be best if someone went to get Tra-guy."

"No!" Sanji said. "Don't bring anyone else here!"

"Why not?" Luffy asked. "Tra-guy is a doctor. If Nami thinks someone should get him~"

"No!"

"Sanji-kun.... Alright, do you have band-aids?" Nami asked. Taking the dish towel off the counter and wetting the corner with warm water before dabbing it on the cuts. "Zoro!"

"What?!"

"I told you to apologise!"

"I DID!"

"Hold this on the cut a moment please," she said before walking over to the green haired man. She punched him in the head while yelling, "'IT WAS AN ACCIDENT' IS NOT AN APOLOGY!!!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!!!! Just don't punch me, geez."

"I'm sorry about Zoro," she smiled turning back to Sanji. "He can be a bit dense at times."

"More like violent," Sanji muttered rubbing his hand.

"You're one to talk, curly brows!"

Sanji glared at him before glancing over to the tangerine sauce that Robin was now stirring.

"It's ready," he said and Robin turned the stove off.

"It seems the bleeding stopped," Nami said taking his hand in her's once again. "I guess you won't need those band-aids or Tra-guy after all. The food smells really good," She smiled. "Looks good too."

* * *

"That was really good!" Luffy said having finished his plate of food before everyone else and was now eyeing Usopp's.

"S-sorry you guys had to sit on the floor. I don't get guests so I haven't had much need for a dining table," Sanji said looking down at his hands folded in his lap.

"No worries. We sit on the floor all the time when we go to Luffy's. He, Ace, and Sabo live in a tree house they built when they were kids. It's in the forest on the other side of town," Name explained.

"You can enter that forest but not this one?"

"Yeah. But nobody knows why. We should get going though."

"Aww, but Nami!"

"But nothing Luffy! Some of us have parents that will worry if we don't get home soon. If my calculations are right it's almost midnight."

"Honestly, I love my mom, but not having parents is nice sometimes," Ace said. "We can do whatever we want."

"Hehehe. Yeah we can! Can we stay the night here?!"

"Do you want to get caught coming out of the forest in the morning?!"

"Nami's right Luffy. We should go."

"But Sabo!"

"I'd rather not have my parents see me sneaking around in the morning. Their always out shopping in the morning. Remember what happened last time they found out were I was?"

"Fine," Luffy gave in with a sigh.

"Wait. I thought you said you were brothers," Sanji said.

"We are," Ace replied. "We're sworn brothers."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we have different parents but we decided that it didn't matter, that's not what makes us brothers," Sabo explained.

"Both my parents died. My so called father was a wanted criminal who got arrested and executed. My mom however died shortly after I was born."

"I don't know my parents. My grandpa sent me and Ace to live with mountain bandits. Ace was practically there sense he as born, and I went there when I was seven."

"My parents are Nobles. I ran away because all Nobles in this kingdom are a bunch of... well jerks is putting it nicely. I meant Ace shotly after, and eventually Luffy. My parents found out were I was once and it didn't end well. But I ran away again and they don't seem to have any interest in finding me anymore. But if I can avoid having them find me then I will."

 _He's.... Like me._ _They both are,_ Sanji thought as he watched the two brothers.

"Can we come back tomorrow night?" Luffy asked his older brothers.

"Well if it were up to us, you already know what our answer would be," Sado replied turning to Sanji.

"I-I mean I guess.... If you really want to.... It isn't like I can stop you."

And the very next day, much to Sanji's surprise, they did infact return.


	7. Chef Zeff

Much to Sanji's surprise, they continued to visit him every night for the next two months. For the first time since his mom died, he was enjoying the company. For the first time in years he was able to smile, laugh, and even take his mind off of his past, at least while they were around. And at the moment, they weren't.

The night before they had said something about needing to help some old man at a restaurant get ready for Thanksgiving in a few days. But Sanji just looked at them.

He never heard of thanksgiving, or holidays. He remembered, before his mom died, the castle used to get decorated around the same time every year and was changed to new decoration twice after the first, rather scary, decorations were put up. He never under stood way, all he knew was his mother loved that time of year. Every time he asked about it his dad would cut his mother off before she could even begin to explain why they did this. After her death, the decoration stopped, and the castle became dimly lit brick hallways. The only color to be seen, the all to familiar, charcoal gray, with an ocasional splash of pink, red, blue, yellow, and green, these colors being the princess and princes hair color and cloths.

After the decorating stopped, his brothers had openly admitted that they missed the scary decorations. They loved using them to scare Sanji. He was easy to scare. They loved the feeling of power they got watching him cower behind his arms because of some prank they pulled with the decor. They loved the way he screamed in his room after waking up from a nightmare about them. How he'd curl up in a ball, shaking in front of the door when they locked him in a dark closet, or when they shoved him into a pit in the castle traning field, filled with bugs.

Sanji didn't mind that they couldn't come visit that day. He had to go pick up the things Reiju had left on the rock for him and leave the paper with measurments for his winter cloths for her. He didn't want his knew acquaintances, he didn't dare to use the word friend, to find out where he had gotten most of his things, that was to much of a risk.

He had arrived at the rock and picked up the bag of food supplies before laying the paper down. When he picked up the stone, the two used to keep their notes from getting blown away, to sit it on top of the paper, he found another note from his sister. He sighed and picked it up, carrying his things back to his cottage.

* * *

"No, I'm serious! There really is someone living in the forest!" Luffy said throwing his arms in the air as he mopped the restaurant floor.

"I don't believe you Straw Hat. It's been ten years sence anybody ever went into that forest! And after Brook, everyone is too afraid to even enter the forest."

"Yeah! We know you're an idiot, but we also know you're not stupid enough to go into that forest."

"Carne! Patty! Get you're asses back in the kitchen and get back to work! Costumers will be hear in less than an hour!"

"Zeff! Guess what!" Luffy said bounding over to the man that had just entered the dining area. "Ace, Sabo, Zoro, Robin, Franky, Usopp, Nami, Brook, and I, we all went into the forest and we found someone, around Zoro's age, living there!" He added speaking way to fast. "And every sence then, we've been going to visit him every evening!"

"You better be lying, boy. If you tell the wrong person that you've been in that forest, what do you think is going to happen?" Zeff scolded.

"We're here, finally," Nami said walking into the restaurant with the rest of the group, dragging Zoro by the ear, who was pleaing with her to let go. "Sorry we're late, Head Chef Zeff, this idiot kept wondering off."

"Good thing Captain was here to help keep him headed the right direction," Said a poler bear.

"Nami did most of the work, Bepo," Law said glancing back to the bear. "Why does Straw Hat look so upset?"

"No one believes me that some one is living in the forest," Luffy pouted.

At that moment, Nami and Usopp walked up to Luffy and slammed their fists into his head while screaming, "YOU IDIOT!"

"Ow. What?"

"We swore we wouldn't tell anyone!" Nami yelled.

"But Zeff would like him!" Luffy whined.

"That doesn't give you the right to break promises!"

"But they're both blond and they like to cook!"

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!"

"Every thing! They could be related!"

"They are not!"

"How do you know that?"

"Wait... so someone really is living in the forest?" Carne interuped the conversation in shock.

"When has Luffy ever been able to tell a lie?" Nami answered.

"Is he a good cook?" Patty asked before Carne could respond.

"He's an awesome cook!" Luffy replied throwing his hand in the air. "And I bet if Zeff taught him everything he knows he'd be the best cook in the kingdom! ...No!! In the world!"

Zeff swiftly kicked Luffy in the back of the head, yelling,"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU! COOKING CAN'T BE TAUGHT!"

"Oww. Sorry, sorry. its devorced, not taught."

"OBSORBED!" Everyone in the room yelled.

"Yeah, that. But anyway... Zeff you should come with us next time we go and meat him!"

" _Luffy!_ We promised we wouldn't bring anyone else onless he said we could!" Nami reminded.

"Soooo, let's go ask him!"

"We can't right now! We're working!"

"But cleaning and decorating is borring. I want to go see Sanji!"

Once again, Nami punched Luffy upside the head.

"Sanji?" Zeff said getting the feeling that he heard that name before, but he couldn't remember where.

"Yeah, that's our new friend's name. He loves to cook and is really funny."

"Straw Hat, you already said he likes to cook," Law said in a monotone.

The fimilearity of the name was bugging Zeff as he racked his brain to remember how he knew it. Finally, he sighed to himself and said, "Alright. Go ask him and when you get back I'll come meat him if he's okay with it."

"YES!" Luffy cried running out the doors. He stopped and turned around. "Are you guys coming?"

Everyone, that was aloud to come, sighed and followed him to the forest.

* * *

Sanji sat at his knew dinning room table, that Franky had build, reading his sister's letter.

_Sanji,_

_Ugh! Why are you being so stubborn about this?! I love you but you're begining to get on my nerves. I can't bring food to you for the rest of you're life. What if something happens to me? Or worse! What if I get caught and exspose our secret? It would be better if people found out you're existance with out my help, Sanji. If anyone finds you because they followed me, they'll know you are you, then you'll have no choice but to come back to the castle! I hate to even imagen what Father will do to you if he finds you out?_

_I'm saying this because I care._

_With Lots of Love,_

_Reiju_

Sanji sighed at his sister's responce to his prvious letter as he rested his head on the table. There was a knock at the door and he jumped, scrambing to hide the letter with his other letters form his sister. The knock repeated, only this time it was in more of a rythmic patteren that could only be a code, telling Sanji who was at his door.


	8. Little Brat

"But why not, Sanji?!" Luffy whined dissapointedly.

The whole group stood outside Sanji's cottage as Luffy and the blond argued.

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"I said no!"

"That's not an answer!"

"Now, Now. Let's just calm down," Usopp cautioned, holding both hands up and slowly walking towards the two. "It's nothing to argue over."

"NOTHING TO ARGUE OVER?! You guys promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

"We did. And we're sorry that Luffy slipped up. We tried to get him to keep his big mouth shut but that's one thing he doesn't know how to do," Nami replied.

"I wouldn't say he doesn't know how, he just picks and chooses when he knows and doesn't know how to," Sabo stated. "This was just one of those times when he chose not to."

"Yeah, because Zeff would like Sanji!"

"Well I won't like him!"

"You don't know that. You haven't even ment him yet."

"AND I'M NOT GOING TO EITHER!"

"Just once! Please!"

"No!"

"I promise you'll like him!"

"Like you promised to keep you're mouth shut!"

"I don't see why it matters," Ace stepped in. "I mean he knows about you now anyway.... Sooo, so what if he sees you at least once."

Sanji sighed, seeing the oldest brother's point.

"Here's an idea. I can see that you really want to punch Luffy right now.... So Luffy will let you punch him on the condition that you let us bring Zeff here one time for thirty minutes and if it don't go well then he'll leave.... But... if it does go well then he can stay a bit longer if he wants."

Sanji looked away, suddingly finding a pebble on the ground very interesting as he rolled it around with his foot. "I-i told you guys... I... I don't like people...," He muttered.

"You like us," Luffy pointed out.

"I-i guess.... I-i mean y-you guys are o-okay...."

"You're stuttering again...," Nami replied softly. She had figgured out that he only stutters when he's scared or uncomfortable about something. "Zeff's really nice and did we mention that he's a famous chef?"

"A-a chef?" he repeated glancing up slightly to Nami.

"Yeah.... Like you."

"C-can I really punch him for telling?"

"I said you could, didn't I?"

"Wait! Nami! I thought you were joking!"

"You're made of rubber, it's not going to hurt, so just hold still," Nami said, grabbing the rubber man from behind.

* * *

"He said yes!" Ace and Sabo said as they entered the restaurant.

"So which one of you are the lucky guys?" Patty replied teasingly.

"Huh?" The two brothers asked looking at Patty with a raised brow.

"You said 'he said yes' didn't you? So which one of you are getting married?"

This earned Patty two fiery punches to the face.

"Sabo's dating Koala. If they were getting married he would of said 'she said yes' not 'he said yes'. Geez Patty, you're stupid."

Sabo chuckled nervously as he ruffled Luffy's hair, "silly little brother.... We're not dating..., we're just good friends.... And we work together.... t-that's all."

"But you like her."

"S-she's a friend, of course I like her. Now look who's being stupid."

"Alright, where is you're mystery friend hiding?" Zeff asked as he grabbed a coat and slipped it on. "What happened to you?" He added, seeing Luffy's swollen face.

"Sanji punched him for telling you about him," Nami informed. "I told him he could on the condition that he let us bring you to meet him."

 _Punched him, hu? If he really is a cook.... That won't do...._ Zeff thought.

* * *

Robin crossed her arms in front of her, closing her eyes. In the distance near the forest hands grew out of buildings with eyes on them. They looked around for any sign that people might spot them sneaking in.

"Alright the coast is clear," Robin said as the hands vanished in a cloud of petals.

Once safely out of site and hidden in the forest Nami began to explain a few things to the chef.

"Okay before we get there, there's a few things you need to know. Sanji's been here alone for a long time. He said he's lived in this forest his whole life. His parents left him when he was young."

"He's a big scaredy-cat," Zoro interrupted.

"He is not. Not as bad as he was when we first meant him anyway. I've noticed that he tends to stutter when he's scared or nervous. And he really doesn't like the idea of us bringing anyone else here. He still won't let us bring Tra-guy and the others. He's fine as long as no one moves towards him to quickly or starts yelling. Every now and then he'll give us a look like he did something wrong for no apparent reason."

"No reason, hu? That sounds suspiciously like an abused child," Zeff thought outloud.

"You think he was?" Nami asked realizing he was right and wondered why she didn't think of that earlier.

"I don't know. I haven't met him yet. But if his parents did leave him at a young age, it wouldn't surprise me. What parent just leaves a child like that?"

"True," Nami sighed. "...?... LUFFY! GET BACK HERE!"

* * *

Sanji leaned over the railing of the bridge as he watched the fish swimming in the river.

_What am I doing? Why did I agree to this?_

_"SAAAAAAAANNNNNNNJIIIIIIIIIII~!!!!!"_ Someone hollered interrupting the blond's thoughts.

He turned around to see Luffy rocketing towards him. He had no time to move out of the way and Luffy flew into him, knocking him over the railing and into the river.

"L-LUFFY?! ... G-get off!"

Luffy's arms slung over Sanji's shoulders and head layed on his chest.

"Can't move. Too week."

"W-week? You said you were really strong?"

"Devil's children and water don't mix."

"Don't mix?"

Luffy weekly lifted his head to look at Sanji, "Water makes us week. We can't swim."

"You idiot! Why didn't you say something sooner?!" Sanji said before draging Luffy out of the water. "Where's Nami-San and the others, anyway?"

"They'll be here soon. I ran ahead."

"More like flew ahead. I'm going to go change into dry cloths. It's cold out here, you might as well come in or you'll catch a cold. But please sit on the floor, I don't want my furniture to get wet.

* * *

"I swear if Luffy tackled the poor guy again I'm going to strangle him," Nami said as they entered the clearing where Sanji lived.

"Ace, Sabo!" Luffy hollered as he peaked out the cottage door. "What took you guys so long?!"

"You rocketed ahead of us, that's what!" Ace hollered across the meadow.

"...!..."

Luffy stretched his arm out and wrapped it around everyone several times.

"LUFFY! NOOOOOO~!" They yelled at him as he pulled them all into the cottage.

" _Luffy!_ " Nami said punching him in the face.

Sanji stepped out of his room, drying his hair with a towel.

"Alright let's get this over with," he said standing in the doorway, not looking up to the group. "Where's this guy you wanted me to mee...," he cut himself off when he finally looked up and saw Zeff. He stared at Zeff for a moment with wide eyes. He slowly stepped backwards into his room and shut the door.

"Sanji-kun? Are you okay?" Nami said walking up to the door.

"I-I'm f-f-fine. G-go a-aw-way," Sanji forced out as he leaned his back against the door and slide to the floor. He hid his face in his knees and covered his head with his arms.

"Sanji-kun, you...."

Robin placed a hand on Nami's shoulder. "I'll talk to him," she smiled when Nami looked at her. She crossed her arms and a clone grew out of the floor in from of Sanji. "Sanji?" The clone said softly as it knelt down in front of the blond.

Sanji jumped and looked up at her wide-eyed, "h-how...?"

"My Devil's Child powers," She replied. "Zeff's really nice. I promise."

"I-I d-don't... Wa-want... t-to... m-meet h-him...."

"You promised you'd give it thirty minutes."

"I-i know. B-but..."

"But what?"

_But... he's blond... he's_ _tall... and worst of all... that look in his eyes...._

"N-nothing."

_....It's just like Dad...._

"How about we make it twenty minutes?"

"No."

"Fifteen?"

"No."

"Ten?"

"Five."

"Five is fine. But only as long as you add five more if it goes well."

"O-okay."

"Alright, I'll be out with the others waiting," she said before the clone vanished, leaving petals on the floor.

Sanji sighed before getting to his feet.

"He'll be out in a moment. Luffy? Did you knock him into the river?"

"I might have rocketed a bit to far," he chuckled but stopped when Nami gave him a look that said 'you're dead!'

"Nami, I hope you don't mind but I cut the time down to five minutes."

"That's a lot but it's fine," Nami smiled.

Sanji opened the door once again but this time stayed mostly hidden behind the wall. His visible eye being the only thing they could see.

"We're sorry. We should have warned you that we were coming in," Nami said.

"I-it's ok-kay.... I-it's c-cold out...."

Luffy walked over to the door and grabbed Sanji by the arm.

"Luffy. Don't!" Sanji said struggling to break free of Luffy's grip.

"Zeff! This is Sanji!" Luffy said once Sanji was out of the room.

Once out of the room, the blond diverted his gaze to the floor.

"Straw Hat tells me you like to cook," Zeff said.

Sanji nodded, his gaze never leaving the floor.

"You any good?"

He shrugged his shoulders, unable to bring himself to look the man in the eyes.

"Sanji's a great cook!" Luffy said. "But not as good as you. That's why I wanted you to meet him! So you could help him get better! He's got a lot of potential! And I bet he could be better then you someday!!"

"Is that so?"

"I wouldn't lie to you about it," Luffy frowned. "Soooo, can you teach him?!"

That earned Luffy a swift kick to the head, which caused Sanji to jump and step away from Zeff and fall to the floor.

"How many time do I have to tell you, boy! Cooking can't be taught!"

"Zeff, I thought I told you no sudden movements," Nami said as she walked over to help Sanji up. "Sorry about that. He kicks his employees to teach them. Luffy is a chore boy at his restaurant because he owes him money for damages he caused. It was only going to be for a year, but having Luffy as a chore boy only causes more damage so time keeps getting added to that year."

"W-why?"

"Well.... Because that's just the way Zeff is.... It's his method and it works."

Zeff watched Sanji as he listened to Nami, and she pulled him to his feet.

_Yup, there's no doubt about it...._

"What'd I tell you? He's a big scaredy-cat," Zoro said coming up behind Zeff.

"I-I am n-not!" Sanji protested.

"Then why are you still stuttering, Bart board?"

"That's not my name, Moss-Head!" Sanji said stepping closer to Zoro.

"If you don't want people calling you that then maybe you should fix your bangs to cover _both_ of your eye," Zoro replied also walking closer to the other man.

"I keep _one_ covered for a _reason_!"

"To look stupid?"

Sanji growled and threw a punch at Zoro. He gasped when a hand wrapped around his wrist. His eyes went wide and he turned to Zeff as he began to tremble and give him the same look Nami had mentioned earlier.

"You're a chef aren't you?" Zeff asked calmly, hoping he would understand that he didn't do anything wrong... well anything worth getting that expression anyway. "The hands of a Chef are precious. Don't do something that will cause you to hurt them, or worse. Or you won't be able to cook at all."

Sanji blinked at him. Hadn't his father taught him that men talked with their fists? So why was this man telling him this? He looked at his hand still griped in Zeff's, "B-but... then... W-what can I hit him with?"

"Your foot."

"M-my foot?"

Zeff nodded once before releasing Sanji's wrist. "If you want to become a better chef, then you're going to have to lear to fight like a chef," he said as he walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Luffy asked.

"The Baratie. I have to get a few things and you kids have work to do. I'll be back later, Little Brat."

"WHO YOU CALLING A LITTLE BRAT, OLD GEEZER?!"


	9. Let The Training Begin

Sanji sat at his dining table eating dinner, early. It had been two hours sence everyone left and he had gotten bored and hungry... So the best remedy for both was to cook.

Moments after sitting down there was a fimilure pattern of knocking at the door. He got up to answer it.

"Back so soon?" He said as he opened the door, not even looking at their faces. When he looked up, however, he didn't find Luffy and the others, but Zeff, who was alone. "Y-you came b-back...?"

"I said I had to get a few things, never said I wasn't coming back."

"Where's t-the others?" He asked turning his gaze to the ground.

"They had to work. Thanksgiving is in a few days and I'm paying them to decorate my restaurant. I however am the owner so I can leave work whenever I feel like it."

"Great, that means they're going to be awhile, huh?"

"It does. Why?"

"Luffy said something about coming back for dinner when everyone left.... So I made extra.... Which means if they don't come... I'll have leftovers.... Which means they might end up going to waist.... I don't.... I don't go into town.... So I-i have to make my food last the best I can.... I have money that my... parents left behind.... But when you aren't near s-stores... it's kind of useless...."

"That's a good sign."

"W-what?"

"Despite raising yourself, you know the value of food.... Then again it's probably because you raised yourself. That's a good quality to have, especially for a chef. Luckily for you, I haven't eaten yet. So why don't we see what level you're cooking is at? Straw Hat said you are good, but not as good as me, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Then I'll just have to see for myself. I'm a better judge at that kind of thing then he is," Zeff noticed Sanji flinch, so slightly that most people wouldn't have seen it, at the use of the word 'judge' but pretend nothing happened.

Sanji nodded before stepping aside to let Zeff in. 

They ate in silence. Sanji never once looked at the other man, he didn't like that he was alone with Zeff.

Zeff layed his spoon down when he finished eating. "You call that food?"

"W-what?" Sanji replied glancing up to him.

"That soup was horrible, very bland."

"If you didn't like it then why did you eat it?!"

"Can't let it go to waist now can we.... I will admit... Straw Hat is right, you do have potential."

"YOU JUST SAID IT WAS HORRIBLE!"

"I did."

Sanji slammed his head on the table before muttering, "you're so confusing."

"The first step to becoming a good chef is being able to tell what you did wrong."

"I didn't do anything wrong! I followed the recipe exact!"

"You catch on quick."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"You already figured out what you did."

"Follow the recipe?"

Zeff nodded.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It will. In time. But first I need you to come outside."

"I have to do the dishes."

"That can wait a little while."

Sanji sighed but followed him out the door anyway.

"What is it Old Geezer?"

"From now on, until I say other wais, you are not to cook a single thing."

"What?! Do you expect me to starve to death?!"

"Let me finish. I will come three times a day to cook. All you will do is the dishes."

"Are you insane?!"

"No. Until I say otherwise, the only thing I want you to focus on is dishes and training."

"Training?"

"Like I said earlier, if you want to become a better chef, you are going to have to learn to fight like a chef."

"I don't understand what you mean by that. Isn't fighting... Fighting?"

"Contrary to popular belief, no." Zeff said as he lead Sanji farther into the forest. "All real chef's have two rules when fighting. Rule number one: blades are never to be used in a fight, they are for food and food alone. Rule number two: never, ever fight with you're hands. There is only one exception to this rule, and that's hand stands."

"Why can't you use you're hands?"

"If you never want to cook again then go ahead. The most precious thing a chef will ever have is their hands. If you injur them you'll have to go without cooking until they're healed. Now granite that's not as bad as if you get them cut off, which will mean you'll never be able to cook again. Do you understand now?"

"Y-yes," he said as a new fear crept into his mind. He couldn't bare the thought of never being able to cook again. "But... I-is fighting with your feet really that... er...."

"Affective? If you know how to, it is."

"I find that hard to believe," he muttered despite the memories of his brothers kicking him to a bloody pulp flashing through his mind.

Sanji hadn't realized he was talking just loud enough for Zeff to hear him, that was until Zeff jumped into the air and landed a strong kick into a nearby tree. Sanji's jaw nearly hit the ground as he watched the tree splinter where Zeff's leg made contact with it and, as if in slow motion, fell to the ground.

"Need fire wood for the winter?" Zeff said turning to face Sanji. "My gosh ya Little Brat, close your mouth, youre going to catch flies"

Sanji closed his mouth and shock his head. "I don't now! ...but... d-do you really think I can do that?"

"With time, patience, and a lot of training... Eventually yes."

"Even though... I-I'm... weak?" He said turning to look at the ground, avoiding Zeff's gaze.

"Did Zoro tell you that?"

Sanji shook his head slowly, "No. I just... It's just something... I always knew...."

"You know, I've aslways found that when you tell yourself you are something, even when you're not, that's what you'll end up being. In other words, you're only weak if you say you are weak."

"Isn't that like saying, 'you're only strong if you say you are strong '?"

"That's exactly like saying that."

"That's insane! You can't just become strong by saying you are!"

"No, but you do become weak by saying you are."

Sanji stared at him in disbelief.

"I'll prove it to you.... But first you're going to have to kick me."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You wanna get stronger?"

"I... Uh... Well... I mean... It would be nice.... But...."

"But what?

"I've tried to get strong.... I trained every day...." His gaze turned back to the ground, "But no matter how hard I tried.... He was still disappointed...."

Zeff's eyes narrowed, "he who?"

"Eh!" Sanji jumped, not realizing he said the last part outloud. "N-no body...!"

"It's your father, isn't it? Nami told me about your parents leaving when you were young.... Look... there is three big differences between now and when you were training as a child."

"And what could that possibly be?!"

"Look around you. Do you see your disapproving father anywhere?"

"N-no...." Sanji sighed, not even attempting to deny the 'disapproving' part or the fact that it was his dad.

"Second, are you not older now then you were then?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"A person naturally gets stronger as they get older. 

"I don't see how any of this matters but what's the third difference?"

"This time, I'll be training you."

"I'm sorry but this is ridiculous."

"Is it? I guess I'll just have to bring Zoro here and see what he has to say about it. Then I can sit here and listen to him insult you all day, Bart-Board-Eyebrowed-Little-Brat."

"Say what?!"

"Curly-Browed-Little-Brat."

"Stop that, Stupid Old Geezer!!"

"Do you know what people say about Little Brats with curly eyebrows? They're ill omens."

 _That_ Sanji had heard before. He remembered constantly over hearing maids at the castle saying stuff like that about him and his siblings. All of them had the same curly eyebrows and three of four of them found the fact that they were asymmetrical embarrassing so they kept one covered with their hair.... Although two of them would never admit that was the reason.

Either because Zeff made fun of his embarrassing eyebrows or because the last comment brought back old memories, something seemed to snap in Sanji.

"I SAID SHUT UP~!" He yelled thowing a punch to Zeff's face.

Zeff blocked it with his leg and sent Sanji flying into a tree twenty feet away.

"What the hell! That hurt!!"

"Use your legs, boy!!!" Zeff said running at Sanji for another kick.

Sanji stumbled to his feet as he tried to dodge Zeff's attack.

"Would you quit it! I told you I can't! It's impossible for me to get stronger!!!"

"With that attitude it is!!! Now stop dodging and start taking this more Siriusly!"


	10. A Stupid Slip Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay you know what... I think we all like emojis... I know I do... Soooo I'm going to try to make thangs a bit more fun and Manga/Anime like! I'm going to use some emojis to show certain thing in this chapter. Tell me what you think and if enough people like the idea I'll keep using them! If not... Well... I'll go back to the original way of showing thangs... Good old fashioned writing 😄 (Started doing this for A Father's Betrayal as well. So far I think it's working)
> 
> Does anyone else get the feeling that Zeff new that Sanji was a Prince of Germa? I mean thank about it! When the article was released in the newspaper about The Straw Hats attempt to assassinate Big Mom at Sanji and Pudding's wedding it flashed to all kinds of people's reaction including Ivonkave's (sorry idk if I spelled his name right) and the rest of the revolutionary army but it never once flashed over to Zeff's and the rest of the Baratie's reactions. THATS THE ONE REACTION I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO SEE!!! I MEAN SERIOUSLY! ZEFF RAISED SANJI FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! Sorry but you can not tell me he didn't have ANY reaction to reading that or seeing the name Vinsmoke on his wanted poster! I'm mean I would of been happy with a simple "how dear that man try to claim the Little Brat/Eggplant as his son! I raised him, Damn it!!!" I'm mean it did flash over when Sanji was making food for the crew for the first time sense he came back but that wasn't a reaction on Sanji being a Prince or a Vinsmoke. I don't know maybe I'm just over thinking things again. Anyway back to the story.

"UUUUUGGH!!! This ain't fair!! Why couldn't we go with Zeff!!!" Luffy whined grabbing two fistfuls of hair.

"Stop complaining. You still owe the restaurant a lot of money for _that_ incident." Carne said looking over his shoulder to Luffy. "...!... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING LUFFY?!"

"Washing dishes.... Like Zeff said to do before he left."

"💢BREAKING ALL OF THEM ISN'T WASHING THEM!!! JUST HOW MANY DID YOU BREAK!!!💢" 

"You know what...?! I forgot to count!" Luffy said before picking up another dirty plate.

"Give my that!" Carne said grabbing the plate. "Just go help Patty hang the Christmas lights. Chef Zeff wants them hung before Thanksgiving this year."

"ALRIGHT! FUN WORK FOR ONCE!!" Luffy said running out of the kitchen.

"Carne finally get tired of you breaking the dishes, Luffy?"

"Hi Shachi. He told me to come help Patty hang lights. Have you seen Nami and the others?"

"I saw them on my way here actually. Said something about buying more decorations. They were with Captain and the others. Knowing Law, they should be back... Right now."

"Damn it Law! How many times do we got to tell you to warn us before telleporting us!!!" Zoro yelled.

Luffy tuned around to find everyone piled up on the floor, everyone except Law that is, who was standing on his feet.

"Hi Luffy," Nami said getting to her feet and brushing off dirt from her mini skirt. "We all thought we'd help decorate the Baratie some more so the chefs can cook."

"Help... decorate...," Luffy repeated slowly, tilting his head to one side. "AAAAAAAGH! WE SHOULD DECORATE SANJI'S PLACE!!"

"You know, that's the best idea you've ever had." Nami smiled. "To be honest that's what we were doing, buying decorations to do just that."

"We'll help with the last of the decorations here and head over," Robin added.

"And we're going to help!" Bepo said.

"Bepo, Nami already said that he doesn't want anyone else to know about him or were he lives." Law replied.

"But he wouldn't have to know we were there, Captain."

"Would you guys stop calling me that. We're not pirates." Law said in a monotone.

"Sooooo, is that a yes?"

"No, Penguin."

"But it's Christmas!"

"WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THANKSGIVING YET!"

"What if everyone else wants to help?"

"Sanji-kun wouldn't like that many people there at once," Nami replied.

"Not to mention it's already hard enough sneaking into the forest with all of us," Robin added. She turned to Law, "However, I am sure that you, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin wouldn't hurt anything."

"Sorry, not now. If I could trust that our being there won't stress him out then maybe."

"Leave it to you to be worried about someone's health."

"I am a Doctor."

"Actually... Law, you're Devil's Child powers would be really helpful," Robin said.

"Oh yeah, he could just telleport all of us into the forest," Nami agreed.

"Not to mention, Sanji has said he's lived in the forest his whole life and has never once went into town.... That would mean he's never once been to a doctor."

"...Eh...!"

"Robin don't guilt the guy," Zoro said.

"Fine, alright. I'll go. But only because nobody should go that long without seeing a doctor."

"ALRIGHT!" Bepo and the others yelled excitedly.

"💢I NEVER SAID YOU GUYS COULD GO! THAT'S TOO MANY PEOPLE!💢"

"Awwww...." The three pouted.

* * *

  
"Not bad, kid. You're actually getting better with each kick."

Sanji glared at Zeff as he laid on the ground panting, "you're lying.... hu.... I told you... hu hu... this is never going to work... hu...."

"Look, it's only been a couple of hours. It takes a lot longer then that to get to my level of strength. I don't expect you to be able to kick down a tree over night. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and those injuries treated."

"💢You caused them!💢" Sanji said rubbing his chest where Zeff had accidentally broken a couple of his ribs.

"It would never had happened if you would have blocked my kick. What's done is done, no use fussing about it. We'll just have to work on your blocking later."

Sanji stared at Zeff's outstretched hand and as if reading his mind Zeff chuckled and said, "You're worn out. I'm just going to help you up."

Sanji cautiously took Zeff's hand and was pulled to his feet. The two walked back to the cottage in silence.

* * *

"Tra-guy, hide! Sanji and Zeff are coming!" Nami hollered up to the surgeon who was on the roof helping Zoro hang strands of garland.

"Alright I'll be deeper into the forest if you guys need me. Don't let Zoro get lost and walk off the roof."

"I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW!" Zoro said as Law teleported into the forest.

"Hi, Sanji!!" Luffy hollered, waving to the trees.

"Hey, Luffy. What's all this?" Sanji replied looking at all the new decorations.

"Christmas decorations!" Luffy said throwing his hands in the air.

"Christmas?" Sanji said tilting his head to the side.

"Sanji? Have you ever celibate Christmas?" Nami asked.

Sanji slowly shook his head. "I mean my parents used to do stuff like this at this time of year.... But I never understood why. I asked Mom once but Dad cut her off when she tried to explain."

"Why's that?"

"No idea. But it don't really matter. I'm going to get a shower."

"Sanji-kun...." Nami said as he disappeared into the cottage.

"Nami. Your the only one here with any medical experiance. The boy broke a few ribs. Would~."

"No need, Zeff, Law is here. He'd be a better person for that."

"Didn't you kids say he didn't want any more people to know about him?"

"Yeah but we knew he should see a doctor at some point. And if _you're_ teaching him to fight then he's going to need one."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that I know you, and you're not going to go easy on him. You've never been the type to coddle people, especially boys."

"No, no I don't," Zeff laughed.

* * *

"Damn it!" Sanji said punching the shower wall infont of him. He hadn't actually planed on getting a shower but he realized that it would be obvious that he had lied just to have an excuse to get out of the conversation. "Damn it! Damn it!" He repeated punching the wall again and again. "Why the hell did I have to bring that up! I should have just pretended to know what this Christmas and Thanksgiving thang was! I'm such an idiot! Eleven years. I've managed to hide out here for eleven years and they had to come along and ruin everything! And now I had to go and bring Dad up to them, again! Damn it!" He punched the wall again before sliding to the floor and pulling his knees to his chest. He rested his head on his knees and covered it with his arms, fisting his hands in his hair as tears began to stream down his face.

It was awhile before he managed to calm himself down enough to stop crying, get out of the tub and get dressed. 

He wiped away the last of the tears and put on the mask that was his smile and walked out of the bathroom.


	11. The Operation Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which sounds better.... Operation human or operation man? ...Operation man sounds like a superhero name........ 😑 lol... no seriously I can't decide 😒

"He sure is taking a long time," Luffy whined sitting on the bridge over the river with his legs hanging off the edge.

"Just give him a few more minutes, Luffy. If you're that bored go get Tra-guy," Nami said setting on the steps of the cottage.

"Oh, right!" Luffy said jumping up and running into the forest.

Sanji came out not long after.

"You might as well get back inside and sit down," Zeff said to him.

"Why? It's nice out here."

"You need to get your ribs set."

"It's fine. They don't hurt anymore."

"STRAW HAT!!!"

Everyone looked in the direction Luffy ran off too.

"Sounds like Luffy's at it again," Ace said as he and Sabo Laughed.

"Who was that?" Sanji asked staring off into the distance.

Before they could answer Luffy and Law came rocketing into view. 

"I got him!" Luffy said, Laughing and getting to his feet after he and Law few into the cottage wall.

"I swear one of these days I'm going to kill you," Law said as he stood up.

"W-who's that...?"

"The guy who's going to set your ribs," Zeff said shoving him inside.

"I-I'm fine...."

"No you're not," Zeff said, shutting the door. "He's a surgeon. Actually, he's the best surgeon in the kingdom thanks to his Divil's Child powers. He's going to come in here, treat your injuries, and your not going to complain."

"I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU! STUPID OLD GEEZER! THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T BRING ANYMORE PEOPLE HERE! THEY SAID YOU WERE-!"

"ANNOYING LITTLE BRAT!!" Zeff said kicking Sanji across the face.

He fell to the floor and slowly backed away from Zeff until his back hit the back of the couch. He looked down with the expression he got when he thought he did something wrong.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry...." he muttered.

"Why are you apologizing? There's nothing wrong with speaking your mind."

Sanji's head snapped up and he stared at him with wide eyes. "B-but you...."

"I kicked you because you are being annoying and stubborn."

 _So hurting people out of annoyance is normal for all people and not just my brothers...._ he thought, looking away. _Wish someone would of said so sooner._

"What's that look for? Get up. I'll go tell Law to get in here."

"Tch." _That stupid old geezer. Thanks he can come here and boss me around like he's my father. I don't need a damn Father,_ He thought this as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his cloths. _I need to sweep this floor some time today. It's getting to dirty._

"Sanji!" Luffy said pushing Law into the cottage. "This is Tra-guy!"

"That's not my name," Law said bluntly.

"Robin thought it would be good for you to see a doctor because you never leave the forest! And Zeff said you broke some ribs!"

"Why are you acting so cheery about it...." Sanji said in a monotone. "Wait.... You say bringing him here was Robin-Chan's idea?"

"Well, I convinced him to come with us anyway," Robin said as she walked through the door with the others.

"Oh.... Well... if that's the case... then.... If that's what Robin-Chwan wishes then it's okay!!!" He said throwing his hands in the air. **(Well, had to add some of Sanji's actual personality at some point (Anything for the ladies 😅).**

"Put away the idiocy," Zoro grumbled as he went to sit down on the couch. **(Yes, Zoro insulting Sanji is a good transition into Law setting Sanji's bones... and a good way to end writers block, apparently.)**

"WHAT'D YOU SAY!" Sanji yelled turning to Zoro.

"You heard me."

"Take your shirt off and sit down so Law can take care of your ribs," Zeff said pushing Sanji to the dinning table.

"YOU'RE THE REASON THEY'RE BROKE IN THE FIRST PLAC~!" Sanji tried to say but his yelling put pressure on his broken ribs causing a sharp pain and he clinched at his chest. 

Law sighed and held up his hand. "Room," he said as the 'room' materialized from his hand. He teleported Sanji to a chair that was pulled out from the table, without his shirt.

Sanji stared at him dumbfounded, "w-what was that?"

"My Devil's Child powers. I'm an operation (human/man). This bubble like dome is basically my operating room. I can control and manipulate anything with in it at me will. My sword acts as a scalpel... which I left at home...." Realizing this he began thinking to himself, out loud, "I could contact Rosinante-San and ask him to bring it.... His Devil's Child power will help him sneak in without being heard.... I mean I don't need Kikoku to set bones but...." He sighed, "I'll just get it later...."

Sanji sighed in relief, _no more people... thank gosh...._

"Then again I did leave my medical supplies at my sisters place.... Bepo and the others said they were going there.... Damn it. I really didn't want to bring more people here if you didn't want them here.... But in order to treat you injuries I need bandages."

"How many other?" Sanji asked reluctantly.

"Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin are pretty hell bent on meeting you...."

" _Fine_ ," he sighed. "But only because this hurts like hell."

"They'll be glade to hear that," Law said turning to Robin. "I don't have a Baby Transponder Snail with me. Would you mind telling them?"

"Of course not," she smiled. Normally she'd have to see someone before she can use her powers to contact them but because she knew where Law's little sister lived it wasn't a problem.


End file.
